I had a couple of misfires yesterday. The first one did nothing and the second pushed the bullet out of the case but did not ignite the powder. The powder was a healthy dose of RL-22 and primer was cci 250.(340 wby). I was curious as the powder was new from a sealed can. I tried some loads in my 25-06 with the same powder and primers and it worked great. Actually a bit better than what I had been using. The first case was taken home after a LONG period of sitting and the bullet pulled. The powder near the primer was turned green but not ignited.....WHAT GIVES. I have loaded thousands of rounds and never seen this before.
powder not igniting
- Thread starter 25tikka
- Start date
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Also, do you clean out your flash holes?
"...pushed the bullet out of the case..." A primer alone will do that. It's a good thing you were paying attention. Firing another round, assuming it went off, would have bulged the barrel as a minimum. It does sound like wet powder though.
I clean the primer pockets and check the flash holes. Would it be possible that a bit of the tumbler media was left in the case and contained the moisture?? I have checked the rest of the cases and found nothing abnormal. I was about 4 gr shy of max. Any way to be sure no moisture exists?
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
I keep a 5/64" drill bit at my reloading bench and if there's any doubt about how clear the flash hole is, I use that to clear it, usually after I clean the primer pocket.
An ignition problem I have had is with 500 S&W, using H110. A lot of the earlier cases were made for large pistol primers and the odd charge of H110 would only partially ignite. Many are now made to accept large rifle primers and that seems to have cured that problem. The older cases fit for large pistol primers I use for lighter loads with faster burning powders like Unique.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
R-22 is a relatively slow burning powder, and although you said it was a healthy load, did the powder fill to the shoulder of the case? If not, when the primer fires the powder can be driven up against the base of the bullet, and if enough air space is present between the primer and the base of the bullet, the powder would fail to fire, and as you describe, leave a discolored singed look to the powder. Had a very light load been used, the powder could form a plug at the junction of the neck and the shoulder of the case. If the base of the powder charge ignites under those conditions it will result in excessive pressure which some mistake for a detonation. In any case the rifle is ruined and the shooter can be injured.
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That primer should work. A quick try of another lot of the same primer or another brand of a Magnum primer shoudl tell you quickly if it is a problem with that lot of primers.
Also, you might try phoniong CCI with that Lot number and telling them about it. They might tell you others have called too.
Also, you might try phoniong CCI with that Lot number and telling them about it. They might tell you others have called too.
That's why I tumble before I de-prime and size.
powder
I had a round do that once, it sounded muffeled when it fired. The bullet did leave the barrel but it sounded different enough for me to stop and check the barrel for a squib. I found the case, looked into it and then remembered pouring a bit of brasso into my tumbling media with cases in the media! Mistake! In the base of the case was crammed media and green brasso still moist! The primer pocket was fine as it went though a resizing die that ejects the primer.
Another time I was reloading a 45 ACP case that had been tumbled, in the resizeing die it felt funny, the primer still popped out , I pulled that case to look inside. It had a wad of chewing gum stuck inside! So much for range pick up brass!
I had a round do that once, it sounded muffeled when it fired. The bullet did leave the barrel but it sounded different enough for me to stop and check the barrel for a squib. I found the case, looked into it and then remembered pouring a bit of brasso into my tumbling media with cases in the media! Mistake! In the base of the case was crammed media and green brasso still moist! The primer pocket was fine as it went though a resizing die that ejects the primer.
Another time I was reloading a 45 ACP case that had been tumbled, in the resizeing die it felt funny, the primer still popped out , I pulled that case to look inside. It had a wad of chewing gum stuck inside! So much for range pick up brass!
